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USC Trojans Predicted to Land 4-Star Shahn Alston Over Auburn Tigers, Penn State

The USC Trojans will have their eyes glued to their televisions on Jan. 11 when four-star running back recruit Shan Alston announces his commitment. The Trojans predicted to land Alston over the Penn State Nittany Lions, Auburn Tigers, Florida Gators, and more.

Gabriel Duarte

Shahn Alston visiting USC during a game day.
Shahn Alston visiting USC during a game day. / Shahn Alston/X
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The USC Trojans' top running back target in the class of 2026 is set to announce his commitment next month. Consensus four-star running back Shahn Alston told On3 that he has set Jan. 11, the day of the Navy All-American game, as his commitment date.

Alston, who hails from Painsville, Ohio, is a top-15 running back and top-150 player in his class across all major recruiting sites.

“I will be committing on Jan. 11,” Alston told On3. “I was invited to play in the Navy All-American Bowl and I am going to commit then.”

Alston currently has a top eight schools list of Auburn, Florida, Michigan State, Missouri, Nebraska, Penn State, Wisconsin, and USC.

“These schools stand out because of the great visits I had at five of the schools as well as the relationships I have with all of these schools," Alston continued. "All these schools contact me every day and I have great relationships with not only the running backs coach, but other staff members and this group of schools has separated themselves from the pack.”

Alston played in eight games his junior season for Harvey High School in Painesville, Ohio. In those games, he ran for 1,104 yards on 131 carries for 15 touchdowns. Most impressively, he averaged an eye-popping 8.4 yards per carry over the course of the season.

USC is predicted land Alston by Allen Trieu of 247Sports. According to On3's Recruiting Prediction Machine, the Trojans have a 94.7 percent chance of landing the Ohio native.

If the Trojans are able to land Alston's commitment, it would be a huge coupe for the future of the position room with both Woody Marks and Quinten Joyner leaving after the season.

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Sep 7, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; USC Trojans quarterback Jayden Maiava (14) hands off the ball to USC Trojans running back Bryan Jackson (21) against the Utah State Aggies during the third quarter at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Hui-Imagn Images / Jonathan Hui-Imagn Images

The Trojans only have two running backs on the current roster who have registered a carry. Freshman running back Bryan Jackson and redshirt freshman A'Marion Peterson have a combined 26 carries in their careers.

Coming into the program from the 2025 recruiting class, USC signed two running backs. Three-stars Harry Dalton III and Riley Wormley are part of the incoming freshman class, but that hasn't stopped the Trojans coaching staff from combing through the transfer portal for another running back.

USC has been heavily linked to Bowling Green transfer running back Terion Stewart, who has already taken a visit to the Trojans.

Stewart rushed for 890 yards on 160 carries for six touchdowns this past season at Bowling Green. In four seasons, Stewart has rushed for 2,359 yards and 23 touchdowns. He would be a valuable and experienced option for the Trojans as they look to retool their running back room.

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Gabriel Duarte
GABRIEL DUARTE

Residing in Los Angeles, Gabriel Duarte is a senior at Cal State Northridge and is pursuing a degree in broadcast journalism. Gabriel is passionate about college athletics and is a writer for USC Trojans on SI and Oregon Ducks on SI. Gabriel has covered many college sporting events around the Southern California area including basketball and football for USC. Gabriel also writes for his local newspaper on high school sports.

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